Can We Let It Bring Us Together?

Anybody? Okay I’ll say it. These masks are b***s**t.

I hate not being able to see the faces of those I interact with. Only whatever soul is being revealed through the windows in the eyes that are all I get to see these days. I never realized how much I smile as a way of responding until that was no longer an option. And we even got masks with a clear middle for the hope that could continue.

And they fog up. And look quite ridiculous.

Well f**k.

All gratitude aside for being healthy thus far, I can become increasingly avoidant of public spaces not simply for the reasons we are all supposed to be cautious, but because now we are all supposed to have fear around one another. To startle if someone gets too close, to avert the eyes, our only remaining way of interacting authentically. My soul withers from the literal barriers between us, and as these things happen, I ache more and more for things I never thought were so important.

And in all of it, I sense something beautiful. Something so powerful in its potential and yet I fear we won’t see it, we won’t learn from it.

Finally, and very obviously, we are all in something, together.

Even if a mask is the only commonality we see, it binds us.

It is a symbol that we all live here, we all suffer, we all have to work to make things better. We are all vulnerable to sickness, nobody is too good or too rich. (Okay some people are definitely too rich)

We ALL fear. We ALL worry. We all hope for the health of those we love.

And we all need hugs.

Desperately.

And so if I were to pray, I would pray that we may see a mask and feel our common humanity. Our shared confusion in this beautiful, hard life.

And while you may not be able to smile to show another that you recognize this, just start by feeling it. And maybe that energy will lighten this heaviness just a little bit.

Or smile with your eyes as my husband would say.

Don’t be a stranger.